General Information
 The car tags say it
all, "Divers Paradise". An island that almost
exclusively caters to scuba diving enthusiasts, Bonaire
is covered with cacti and scrub bush along with wild
goats and donkeys thrown in for good measure.
 In contrast, underwater Bonaire
is truly spectacular. The corals are beautiful and
healthy and there's an abundance of fish life, thanks
to the foresight of the government. Because the waters
around Bonaire are designated as an official marine
park and have been protected for more than 20 years,
diving Bonaire is like diving the Caribbean the way
it used to be - untouched and unspoiled.
The Wall, sometimes vertical, sometimes sloping, starts
just a few feet from shore. Bonaire is the perfect
place for shore diving and most shore dive sites are
marked by large yellow rocks with the name of the
site stenciled on them.
More than 60 dive sites are accessible by shore, making
Bonaire one of the the most enjoyable dive destinations.
When visiting, spend time touring the island. You'll
see salt flats, a beautiful "pink beach",
an old lighthouse, slave huts, Washington National
Park, a wildlife preserve and great spot for seeing
animal species unique to Bonaire, pink flamingos,
beautiful Parroquets, lorets, big blue lizards and
three foot iguanas. Lac Bay, on the windward side
of the island, has some of the best windsurfing in
the world.
The island's location in the south Caribbean gives
it an arid climate with little rain fall; consequently,
the waters are exceptionally clear of silt, calm,
and diveable year round. It is an ideal destination
for underwater photographers.
Climate 75 - 85F 24 - 29C
Water Temp 78 - 86F 25.6-28.9C
Visibility Average 100+ ft. 30+ m
Caribbean
Map
Dive
Centers & Accommodations
Getting
There
From North America
American
Eagle currently operates daily nonstop flights
from San Juan, Puerto Rico to and from Bonaire, with
originating gateways from major U.S. cities.
On
February 9, 2008, Delta Airlines will commence their
weekly non-stop flights from Atlanta to Bonaire and
return.
Flight
#371 will depart Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport at 10:00 AM, and arrive at Bonaire’s
Flamingo Airport at 3:20 PM. The return flight #370
will depart Bonaire at 4:15 PM and arrive in Atlanta
at 7:45 PM. The equipment will be a Boeing 737-800
with 150 seats (15 in Business Class and 134 in Economy).
Air
Jamaica flies to Bonaire via Montego Bay on Saturdays.
Gateway cities from the U.S. include Boston, New York,
Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta,
Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Los Angeles. Air Jamaica
can be reached at 1-800-523-5585. Please note Air
Jamaica will cease service to Bonaire on March 8th,
2008.
Continental
Airlines offers two non-stop weekly flights. The
first is a round-trip flight between Newark and Bonaire,
utilizing a Boeing 737 with 124 seats, the weekly
flight departs Newark on Saturdays at 11:55 PM, and
arrives Bonaire on the following Sunday morning at
5:40 AM.
Continental
Airlines also flies weekly non-stop flight from
its Houston hub. Flight #1898 departs Houston on Fridays
at 11:30 p.m., arriving in Bonaire on Saturdays at
6:15 a.m. The return flight, #1899, departs Bonaire
on Saturdays at 8:00 a.m., arriving in Houston at
10:50 a.m. Continental Airlines also uses a Boeing
737 airplane with 124 seats including 12 first class
seats. Continental Airlines is the world's sixth largest
airline.
American
Airlines flies direct, non-stop to Curaçao
from Miami. Passengers then use Dutch
Antilles Express to connect to Bonaire. Flying
time between Curaçao and Bonaire is approximately
15-30 minutes. Or, Divi Divi, which flies between
Bonaire and Curacao numerous times on a daily basis,
can be reached at: +599-9-839-1515 or fax +599-9-868
1949. Currently, Insel
Air flies between Curaçao and Bonaire on
Fridays and Sundays, and they should be increasing
their service to daily flights on or about October
15, 2007. Until that time, charters are available.
Their offices can be reached in Curaçao at
phone: +599-9-733-1521 or +599-9-733-1522, or at the
airport at +599-9-868-4400 or 868-6600.
Another
routing option is to fly on any of a number of major
U.S. and South American carriers to Aruba and then
take Dutch
Antilles Express or Tiara
Air from there to Bonaire.
Contact
Dutch
Antilles Express at their new call center, which
can be reached at +599-717-0808, and which is open
Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Payment can be made with debit or credit card, with
an e-ticket sent by email or fax. Reservations on
DAE can also be made by emailing reservations@flydae.com
or faxing +599-717-0880. They fly several times daily
to Bonaire from both Curaçao and Aruba. Tiara
Air flies non-stop flights six times each week from
Aruba to Bonaire and back.
From
Europe
KLM
flies direct from Amsterdam to Bonaire several times
each week; the flight continues on to Quito, Ecuador.
Arkefly
provides weekly service from Amsterdam to Bonaire
during the high season. They utilize aircraft that
can accommodate 200-plus passengers.
From
South America
From Ecuador, the same KLM
flight returns to Bonaire with non-stop flights.
From
Venezuela, Transaven
flies from Caracas or Valencia to Bonaire. Their reservation
office can be reached by calling +(599) 717-8446 or
+(599) 717-9944, or via FAX at +(599) 786-1086. They
can accept reservations via email at bonaire@transaven.com.
Charters can be also arranged.
From
Brazil, Varig
and Avianca
fly from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to Aruba, which
connect with Dutch
Antilles Express. Avianca
also flies from Bogota to Curacao, from which connections
to Bonaire can be made.
From
Colombia, Avianca
has flights from Bogota to Aruba, which connect with
Dutch
Antilles Express. Also, Dutch
Antilles Express has recently announced they will
soon begin service to Bogota, via Caracas.
Entry Requirements
Citizens of most countries in the world do not need
a visa for their entry to our island. However, effective
January 1, 2005, visitors from the following countries
are now required to have a visa for stays of up to
3 months (90 days) in the Netherlands Antilles, since
beginning in 2005, the Dutch Kingdom synchronized
visa requirements among Aruba and the Netherlands
Antilles.
| Afghanistan |
Fiji |
Rwanda |
| Albania |
Gabon |
Salomon
Islands |
| Algeria |
Gambia |
Sao
Tome and Principal |
| Angola |
Georgia |
Saudi-Arabia |
| Armenia |
Ghana |
Seychelles |
| Azerbeidzjan |
Guinea |
Senegal |
| Bahrein |
Guinea-Bissau |
Servia
and Montenegro |
| Bangladesh |
Haiti |
Sierra
Leone |
| Belarus |
India |
Soedan |
| Benin |
Indonesia |
Somalia |
| Bhutan |
Iraq |
Sri
Lanka |
| Bosnia |
Iran |
Swaziland |
| Botswana |
Jemen |
Syria |
| Burkina
Faso |
Jordania |
Tadzjikistan |
| Burundi |
Kazakhstan |
Taiwan |
| Cambodia |
Kenya |
Tanzania |
| Cameroen |
Kirgizia |
Thailand |
| Cape
Verdia |
Kiribati |
Turkmenistan |
| Central
African Rep. |
Kuwait |
Togo |
| China
(except for |
Laos |
Tonga |
| Hong
Kong SAR and |
Lesotho |
Tsjaad |
| BNO
holders) |
Libanon |
Tunesia |
| Colombia |
Liberia |
Turkey |
| Comores |
Libia |
Tuvalu |
| Congo-Brazzaville |
Macedonia |
United
Arab Emirates |
| Congo-Democrat
Rep. |
Madagascar |
Vanuatu |
| Cote
d’Iviore |
Malawi |
Vietnam |
| Cuba |
Maldives |
West-Samao |
| Dominican
Rep. |
Mali |
Yugoslavia |
| Djibouti |
Morocco |
Zambia |
| Egypt |
Peru |
Zimbabwe |
| Equatorial
Guinea |
Philippines |
South
Africa |
| Eritrea |
Qatar |
|
| Ethiopia |
Russian
Federation |
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Maximum total days that one can stay on the
island is 90 days! The latter can be used in
one period or during different visits in one year.
Extending
Your Stay:
Visitors
from countries that either appear or do not appear
on the above list are required to request extension
of their stay after a 14 days period (2 weeks). For
visitors from countries other than those appearing
above, visits of up to 14 days (2 weeks) are allowed
without any permit.
Citizens
of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, along with
any other countries with whom the Netherlands has
reached an agreement on visa requirements, are allowed
to stay up to 90 days (3 months), without having to
apply for a visit extension.
To
prolong your visit, present the following documentation
in person at the immigration office at Kaya Libertador
Simon Bolivar #7 (behind Tourist Corporation Bonaire's
office):
- Passport
- Visa
(in passport), if required
- Return
ticket
- You
may be required to provide proof that you have the
financial resources to stay up to your new desired
date. This information may also be requested upon
entry into Bonaire, but is up to the discretion
of Immigration.
Nationals
of the United States and Canada
- A
valid Passport
- A
re-entry permit to the US, a valid non quota immigration
visa or an Alien Registration (green card) for non
USA citizens residing in the USA, plus a valid driver's
license
For
more information on visas or extending of your visit,
please call the Immigration Office of Bonaire, Phone:
+599-717-6880.
Travel Tips
Transportation
Bonaire has no public transportation. You'll have
to choose between taxis, a rental car, moped or bicycle
to get around the island. Main roads are paved. Most
of Bonaire's unpaved roads are decent, but some areas,
including Washington/Slagbaai Park, become impassable
after rain. Local driving habits are casual: Occasionally
two drivers, traveling in opposite directions, stop
to have a "Bonaire meeting." You may also
find that the roads are sometimes blocked by goats
or donkeys.
Auto rental agencies
are easy to find. US, Canadian, and European driver
licenses are valid for use on the island. Be careful
of the goats, donkeys and pedestrians that roam the
island's roads. All traffic keeps to the right, and
international highway signs are used. Speed limit
is 40 km per hour (25 mph) in town and 60 km to 80
km per hour (38-50 mph) in the countryside.
Banking
There are several banks downtown, all of which have
ATMs. Walk-up hours are generally Monday-Friday 8:30
am-4 pm. Most banks remain open during lunch.
Telephones
Phone service on the island is generally good. International
calls, faxes, telegrams, telexes and other overseas
communications services are available (at considerably
less expensive rates than resorts charge) at TELBO,
Kaya Simon Bolivar 8. Phone 599-717-7000.
Time Zone
4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-4 GMT). Daylight
Saving Time is not observed.
Tipping
Tip 15% in restaurants if a service charge hasn't
already been included in the bill. If a gratuity has
been added, it's customary to leave another 5% or
so for your waitperson if the service is good. Tip
cabdrivers 10% and bellhops US$1 per bag. If you go
diving, tip the dive shop about 10%.
Electricity
127 volts (with surges up to 140 volts), 50 cycles.
Some quick chargers and old-style hairdryers overheat,
although newer 50/60 appliances pose no problems.
What to Wear
Bonaire is generally an informal island. Still, courteous
visitors wear at least shorts, a shirt and sandals
everywhere except on beaches and at poolside.
Shopping
Duty-free items (especially watches), T-shirts, jewelry,
local art and handicrafts are about all there is to
buy on Bonaire. Of these, the art may be the best
choice: In recent years, Bonaire artists have been
busy creating distinctive works.
Most of the good shopping is on Kaya Grandi in Kralendijk.
Besides the usual trinket marts, there are several
shops carrying authentic local art. Check out the
flamingo memorabilia, painted driftwood and handmade
jewelry at Jenny's Souvenirs and Gifts, across from
the post office.
Don't expect to bargain in Bonaire's shops, but feel
free to do so with the Venezuelan fruit vendors in
the market (you'll do better there if you speak Spanish).
Most stores accept and list prices in U.S. currency.
Prices are in guilders if the number is preceded by
"fl," in U.S. dollars if preceded by "$."
Restaurants
Bonaire is experiencing lots of growth, so new restaurants
open frequently -- and not all stay in business. If
you stroll along Kaya Grandi, Kaya J. N. E. Craane
(the waterfront road north of the piers) and Kaya
L. D. Gerharts, you'll pass many eateries serving
Caribbean, Dutch, Indonesian and U.S. foods. All are
informal. Even the more upscale restaurants are fairly
casual on Bonaire: Coats and ties are seldom worn
-- usually just for weddings and funerals. On the
menus, you'll find mostly fish and some vegetables
and fruits -- most of it excellent and well seasoned.
Be sure to ask about the local fare: soups and stews
made with salted meat, goat, conch, plantains, okra,
cactus or the occasional iguana. (Many restaurants
serve local dishes, but they don't necessarily list
them on their menus.) Everyone should try a rijsttafel:
A kind of Indonesian buffet, it consists of rice accompanied
by 6-20 small meat, vegetable and fish side dishes.
Dutch cheeses, chocolate and coffee are also good,
and Dutch beer is widely available.
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